aubreydb
I've been plus size most of my adult life. I started gaining weight as a child intentionally at first to hide my blossoming preteen body. After that, I just seemed to gain as I got older. I was a size 11/12 near the end of high school and was moderately active. Of course, I had no idea how to eat healthy back then. I made my way in the world, eventually becoming about a size 16 when I was 19 years old. I worked as a housekeeper, walking about a mile and a half to and from work each day, each way.
Then I got pregnant and huge! I had my son, married his father and tried to live happily ever after. We were so poor. I was never under a size 18 after the birth of my son. My husband withdrew more and more, leaving me to raise our son. My husband finally found his true love-computers and I just ate, worked and played with my son.
Eventually, I was working two jobs and raising our child alone. An angel, in the form of my supervisor at work, told me I needed to file for Social Security. I got an apartment, stopped working (on unemployment) and was so happy. We didn't even have furniture, I slept on the floor. But we made it, my son and I. On December 20th, 2004, I made a date with a man I met online. I had no sitter so my son came to the mall with me, 45 minutes late. I figured Thom must have given up and left so I ordered food. As I turned, tray in hand, to find a seat, I saw him walking to me. I think he glowed. He sat and ate with my son and I, making us laugh. He came home with us and never left. Which is good because a part of me was scared and wanted him to go. He met and fell in love with me as I am now (271.5 lbs) and loves me everyday.
I stopped having periods within another year, the doctors telling me that it happens sometimes. No, it doesn't! Four doctors later, someone finally informed me that I had a lemon sized cyst on my ovary. Oh, so that's why I was hurting so bad! I was diagnosed with PCOS with insulin resistance and put on Metformin. It helped for awhile but now I'm back to not having periods on my own. I am infertile because of this, which came as a huge blow because I always wanted more children and so does my Thom.
I have been researching wls for years now. Initially, I found out that, since I was on Medicaid, I would be put on a waiting list. I never heard back. About a year and a half ago, I tried again, someplace else. Same thing. But in September of '07, I was finally approved for Social Security (only about a five year wait!) and, along with it, Medicare. This was so huge for me, no one around me but a friend and Thom knew what it meant. I called the "someplace else", which was SSM DePaul Weight Loss Institute, and let them know the insurance change. I wasn't expecting crap. The receptionist was so happy for me and wished me congratulations and informed me that I would be moving up off that waiting list. I was in shock. It's taken forever to get my paperwork in but it's all there now. I went to see Dr. Scott for the first time today and suddenly it is all real and I'm in shock again.
Once the ball started rolling, it rolled fast! I had only one week from the day of my pre-op testing and class until the day of my surgery. I started the process at 271.5 lbs at 5'4", with a BMI of 46.7. I lost a few pounds, completely on my own, in the few days before surgery. According to my scale, I went into surgery at 266 lbs (BMI of 45.7). I was not required to do a special pre-op diet.
